The Darkest Hour
by caitlintapper80
Summary: The Darkest hour is just before the dawn as Samatha finds out when she deals with the aftermath of the Lost City Pt.2


Disclaimer: I wish I owned Stargate, but alas that it not my fate. Guess I'll just have to stick to fanfiction.  
  
The Darkest Hour  
  
Prologue  
  
"I resign" Col. Jack O'Neill said staring straight at Major Carter. She didn't say anything just stood there staring. Then he closed the panel only to realize moments later that the panel had been the last barrier between them. He stepped closer to her. "I said, Major, that I resign." She looked up at him and her breath caught at the look he was giving her. "Yes, resign" was all she could say. O'Neill took another step closer "Yes, resign" he said, repeating her works back to her before he leaned down and kissed her.  
  
In the other room Bray'tec and Teal'c stopped their conversation as a thud came from the storage room. A thud that sounded two someones hitting the wall. Daniel though didn't look up from the archaeology book he was reading. "Jack must have just resigned," he said as he turned the page.  
  
Chapter 1 - Aftermath  
  
When Daniel Jackson looked back on it he thought that maybe if he hadn't been so imbued with his own grief for the loss of his friend he might have seen the signs that there was something wrong with Major Carter. But hindsight is 20/20 and he knew that there was no way to get past the shock and grief of losing Jack so soon after Janet's death, quick enough to stop events that would soon be happening from coming to be. At that time he had stood there and watched as Carter brushed the glass where O'Neill's face was.  
"It should have been me," he whispered. Sam turned to him, but what she was going to say was lost as their radios crackled to life.  
"SG-1 this is Bray'tac. I'm right above you when ever you are ready" came Bray'tac's voice over them.  
"We are ready now," Carter said back, then without another word turned and walked over to the rings without seeing if Daniel or Teal'c were following.  
  
A week later after much debate at the SGC, Col. Jack O'Neill was declared MIA. ("If you can come up with something better, I'll consider it" was Gen. Hammond's response when question about it.) Two days after that found Daniel, Teal'c, and Carter at O'Neill's house packing up his things to be put into storage for when Jack woke up. Four hours after starting the packing the house looked like a tornado had hit it. Who knew O'Neill had so much stuff especially for a guy who wasn't even on the planet most of the time let alone in his house. In the midst of it all O'Neill's mother had called demanding to know what has happened. Carter had only meet the women twice but knew two seconds after Daniel had answered the phone an expedient retread was in order. So she went to the bedroom and started packing O'Neill's uniforms and listening to the phone conversation.  
"Your right Mrs. O'Neill, I would think it would be hard to become MIA at a astrophysical research station... AWOL?...crap Sa- No Jack wouldn't do that, often," came Daniel's side of the conversation. "Sam? Well Sam is busy at the moment...yes, I call her Sam often...No Mrs. O'Neill it's not breaking any regulations, I'm not in the military...I'm an Egyptologist... No it doesn't have a lot to do with astrophysics but I have other talents too you know." Teal'c saying that it was rather late and that they should be getting back to the base soon saved Daniel. Sam looked up in surprise at the clock and realized that it was indeed getting late. She put down the shirt she was folding and realized that she didn't want to leave, even if they would be coming back the next day. She head footsteps and looked up to see Daniel standing in the doorway.  
"We're going back to the base," he said. "Are you coming?"  
"Maybe later. I just want to finish this up," She answered.  
"Are you going to be okay?"  
"Yeah, I just need a little time to myself."  
"Okay, just remember that me and Teal'c are here if you need us." Sam nodded and then Daniel turned and left. She thought she heard Teal'c start to say something then stop. Then the door opened and closed and she was alone in the house. Sam let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. Then she felt the wetness running down her cheeks. She cursed to herself; she couldn't give into her grief now. She had to be strong for the group, so that they could find the Lost City and save Jack. A knock at the door made her jump, she spun around and thought that it must be Daniel and Teal'c having forgotten something. They couldn't see her like this, so she fled to the bathroom for something to dry her eyes. The knock came again, but not a third time. Then her senses went on high alert as she heard the window in the bedroom open.  
"Damn this was easier when I was taller" a voice came from the room, it was soon followed by a whoa and a crash. Sam grabbed the first thing she came to (a can of shaving cream) and ran out of the room ready to attack the intruder. She got three feet before "Take it easy Major, you wouldn't hit a man when he's down would you," came from the floor.  
Samantha looked down to see Jack O'Neill's Asgaurd clone sitting on the floor rubbing his butt, an over turned table and its contents lay scattered around him. Sam lowered the shaving cream can "Well that would all depend on what the man in question was doing at the time" she said.  
"Good point" the clone said as he picked himself up and started to walk out of the room "Well, Cassie didn't want to walk here by herself in the dark and I had to come here anyways to get something. As for the window, the spare key is missing."  
"Oh, Daniel has it."  
"Figures" He said as he got to the door and unlocked it. Cassandra then burst into the house.  
"Jonathan are you okay? I heard a crash." She said worriedly.  
"Yeah, It's just a bump." He answered.  
"Well, okay. Sam have you been crying? Are you okay?" Cassie looked at Sam with concern, but it was Jonathan's look that almost sent Sam into tears again. O'Neill had looked that way many times when one of him team members was hurt, physically or mentally. Instead Sam turned and went into the kitchen declaring that it was time they should eat.  
  
Dinner turned out to be an awkward situation with not just Janet and O'Neill being the only subjects that were tiptoes around. A lot of the time Jonathan looked like he wanted to say something but would always stop. Finally, the plates were cleared. It was then that Jonathan sighed and turned to Sam.  
"Um, Carter" he said "In my...O'Neill's locker there was a box. I was wondering if you could get it for me."  
Sam nodded and then turned and went to her bag where she pulled the box in question out and handed it to Jonathan. "I don't open it," She reassured him. He took the box and set it on the counter and started to rummage through it. Then he pulled out an envelope. He stood there thinking a moment and turned and handed the envelope to Sam. She toke it gingerly.  
Samantha it said. Slowly she opened it. Inside was a handmade card. On the front it said:  
All the thing I wished I could say but was never able... Sam felt the tears welling up as she opened the card.  
I Love you Samantha with all my heart.  
-Jack With that Sam let go of the restraints she was holding on herself. She collapsed on to the kitchen floor and started to sob.  
He's gone. She thought. Jack is really gone... 


End file.
